After Jordan, Emirates also furious with Netanyahu Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not only managed to get into a diplomatic row with Jordan, he also succeeded in angering the Emiratis. Israel
Iran operating new advanced centrifuges, nuclear watchdog finds According to an International Atomic Energy Agency report, Iran is now using IR-4 centrifuges to enrich uranium in violation of the nuclear accord. Iran
Lawsuit filed to close pro-Kurdish party after lawmaker stripped of parliamentary seat Omer Faruk Gergerlioglu, a pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party deputy known to focus on human rights abuses, was stripped of his parliament seat and a lawsuit was filed to close the party March 17. Turkey
Netanyahu courts Arab voters as 'Abu Yair' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has adopted a new strategy for the Arab public: cynically rebranding himself as "Abu Yair." Israel
Has Wolf in Sheepskin Snuck Into Turkey's Eid Al-Adha? For the first time in 14 years, Turks can donate the hides of the 2.5 million livestock they sacrifice during Eid al-Adha, causing secularists to fear Islamist charities will have a $50 million payday. Turkey
Iraq Plays Politics with Security As Elections Approach Iraqi politicians treat security as an electoral matter, while security disintegrates throughout the country. Iraq
Has Egypt Lost the Plot? Egyptians seem to have forgotten the initial goals that fueled uprisings against the Muslim Brotherhood and the denial of human rights. Egypt
Erdogan Uses Christian Seminary As Chip in Talks With Greece Is Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan trying to impose authority over Muslim leaders in Greece? Turkey
The Iranian Trend And Geneva Nuclear Talks Al-Monitor’s coverage of Iran as negotiations commence this week in Geneva with expectations of progress on the nuclear file, and implications for Syria and the region. Israel
Nour Party: Don't Blame Islamists For Brotherhood's Mistakes In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, the head of the Egyptian Salafist Al-Nour Party, discusses the mistakes of the Muslim Brotherhood and the upcoming elections. Egypt
Syrian Arab Village Welcomes Kurdish Fighters Villagers consider arrival of Kurdish People's Defense Units (YPG) forces a liberation in light of the presence of al-Qaeda-affiliated groups. Syria
Meshaal to Tehran: Return of the Prodigal Son? News outlets report that Khaled Meshaal, head of Hamas' political bureau, will soon visit Iran to rebuild ties strained over Syria. Palestine
Kidnapping of Prime Minister A Sign Libya Needs Help The kidnapping of Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zeidan should give urgency to US, EU support for a regional plan to rebuild Libya’s security forces. Originals
UN Body Led by Ahmet Uzumcu Wins Nobel Peace Prize Turkish President Abdullah Gul expressed deep pride for this year’s Nobel Peace Prize winner, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, led by a Turk, Ahmet Uzumcu. Syria
Sistani Issues Fatwa Against Sectarian Violence in Iraq Amid rising sectarian rhetoric and violence in Iraq, Iraqi Shiite cleric Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani has issued a fatwa condemning anti-Sunni violence. Iraq
Lapid Draws Own Red Line on Iran Israel’s finance minister has said Iran should have no centrifuges and no plutonium at all. Palestine
